Engine-starter.



V. BENDIX.

ENGINE STARTER. I APPLICATI ON man JUNE 18, I917.

1,274,373. Patented Aug. 6,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

@MJW Wy/M I A45 5 V. BEN'DIX.

ENGINE START-ER; APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18. 1917.

Pzitented Aug. 6, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.-

V.BEND|X.

- ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, I917. Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VINCENT BENDIX, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ENGINE-STARTER.

tofore issued to me, for instance, Patent No.

1,116,370, dated November 10, 1914, and Patent No. 1,172,864, dated February 22, 1916, which starter is characterized by a prime mover such as anelectric motor, and a transmission or drive for transmitting the power of the motor by means of a rotatable shaft, such as a screw shaft and a driving member such as a pinion mounted thereon, to the member of the engine to be started, such as the fly wheel thereof. This drive comprises a screw shaft operated either directly from the armature shaft or indirectly thereby through gearing, and a pin10n screw-threaded on such shaft and having longitudinal movement thereon and rotary movement therewith. This drive also comprises a yielding drivlng connection such as a spring interposed in the driving connections' at some point between the motor and the driving member or pinion.

The object of my present invention is to provide a simple and reliable construction having the above enumerated characteristics and in which the yielding driving connection, such as a spring, is more or less disassociated from the screw shaft. and pinion and associated more directly with the motor and the driving shaft thereof,'which may be an extended armature shaft, and in which such spring acts to permit of longitudinal movement. of the driving shaft and to restore it to normal position. Another object is to shorten the length of the drive and make it compact in the direction of the length of its shafts.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the transmission or drive embodying my invention; and Figs. 2 and3 similar Views illustrating modified forms of construction.

Referring to the embodiment as herein shown, the starting motor which is represented in part at A is here provided with an extended armature shaft 1, passing through a casing 2 and having a bearing at 3 in a a ng A, which in l ses the parts Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 6 1918. Application filed. June 18, 1917. Serial No. 175,430 I of the drive. Such bearing, however, is not essential. Toward the outer end of this shaft there is secured by means of bolt 4 a collar oaii'd to the bolt is anchored a coiled spring 6 which constitutes the yielding driving connection. The other end of this spring is anchored to another collar 7 by means of a stud '8. This latter collar is loosely mounted or floats upon the shaft, being capable of longitudinal movement thereon and rotary movement therewith, as

well as a limited rotary movement independent thereof. This collar 7 carries a pinion 9 which as shown and by preference is made separate therefrom and attached thereto in a suitable manner, although it might be iade integral therewith. .This pinion is mounted on the shaft 1 and has the same relative movements with respect thereto as its collar 7. It is provided with a flange 10 so as not only to'mesh with the large gear 11, but also to cooperate with a side of the rim thereof.

The gear 11 is adapted to drive the secondary shaft 13 which is here shown as (but not by necessity) a solid screw shaft. As shown this gear is secured in a suitable manner as by means of the screw threads 12 to the driving orscrew shaft 13 whose central portion is screw-threaded to receive the driving member or pinion 14. This pinion is adapted to mesh with the teeth 15 on the periphery of the fly wheel of the engine to be started. The ends of the screw shaft are plain and are received in the bearings 16 and 17, such shaft having an endwisemovement in the bearings.

If desired, the pinion 14'might be made to move inthe opposite direction, that is, to the rightfor meshing, in which case the spring would be expanded in the longitudinal movement of'the shaft 13, or, if desired, the gearing may be arranged at the other ends of the shafts 1 and 13, in which case the spring would be expanded or compressed accordin to the adopted direction of movement 0 the pinion in meshing. These modified forms of construction are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and hereafter described.

Describing the operation of the device and starting with the parts in the normal position shown, when the motor is operated the power of the shaft 1 is transmitted through the driving spring 6 to the pinion .9, thencethrough gear ll'to the screwshaft, W

whereupon the pinion ll will be advanced ion 1 1 and of the fly wheel should abut end to end, the screw shaft will yield longitudinally, that is, move bodily toward the right.

This movement is a yieldingone against the tension of the spring 6, inasmuch as such movement will likewise carry the gear 11 in the same direction, thereupon moving the pinion 9 and head 7 in that direction against the expanding tension of the spring 6. It is for accomplishing this function that the pinion'lO and gear 11 have the engagementshown for lateral movement in unison.

' The construction shown is what is known as the double reduction form of drive because of the gearing between the starting motor and the screw shaft. There are therefore two shafts, a primary shaft 1 and a secondary shaft 13, with the former of which the yielding driving connection is associated and with the latter of which the driving pinion is associated. Obviously the shaft 1 need not be the armature shaft but a shaft .driven thereby in suitablemanner.

In Fig. 2 the construction is the same as in Fig. 1 with the exception that the pinion in its advance longitudinal movement moves in the opposite direction, that is toward the right, with the result that in the event of the abutting end to end of the pinion and the fiy wheel teeth the screw shaft and the gear 11 will be moved slightly to the right, thereby correspondingly moving the pinion 9 in the same direction. Consequently these movements which are resisted by the spring 6 will cause an expansion thereof instead of a contraction as inthe case of the construction in Fig. 1. 4

The other modified form of construction is illustrated in Fig. 3 which is the same as the. construction of. Fig. 1 with the exception that the gearing instead. of being arranged adjacent the motor, that is at the inner ends of the shafts 1 and 13, is arranged at the other or outer ends of these shafts.

According to this construction the longitu-.

yielding driving means mounted on said shaft, a second driving shaft, operating connections between said means and the latter shaft, and a driving member mounted 011 such latter shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith.

2. The combination of a driving shaft, yielding driving means mounted on said shaft, a second driving shaft, operating consuch latter shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith.

4. The combination of a driving shaft, a coiled spring encircling and secured at one end to the shaft, a second driving shaft, operating connections between it and the other end of the spring, and a driving member mounted on such latter shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith.

5. The combination of a primary driving shaft, a driving device loosely mounted thereon, a coiled spring encircling said shaft and connecting between it and said device, a secondary driving shaft, a driven device thereon driven by said driving device, and a drivin member mounted on the secondary shaft or longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith.

6. The combination of a driving shaft, a driving member mounted loosely thereon and capable of limited independent rotary movement in respect thereto, driving means between said shaft and member, a second driving shaft, operating connections between said member and latter shaft, and a driving member mounted on such latter shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith.

7. The combination of a driving shaft, a driving member mounted loosely thereon and capable of limited independent rotary movement in respect thereto, driving means between said shaft and member, a screwthreaded driving shaft, operating connections between said member'and screw-shaft,

and a pinion mounted for longitudinal movement with respect to the screw-shaft and rotary movement therewith.

8. The combination of a driving shaft, a drivlng member mounted loosely thereon and capable of limited independent rotary movement in respect thereto, yielding drivmg means between said shaft andmember, ajscrew-threaded driving shaft, operating III connections between said member and screwshaft, and a pinion adapted to be driven by the screw-shaft and mounted for longitudinal movement wit-h respect to the screwshaft and rotary movement therewith.

9. The combination of a driving shaft, a driving member mounted thereon for independent rotary movement therewith, yielding driving means between said shaft and member, a second driving shaft, means for driving the latter shaft from said member, and a driving member mountedon said latter shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith.

10. The combination of a driving shaft, a pinion loosely mounted thereon, a yielding driving connection between the shaft and pinion, a second "driving shaft, a gear secured thereto and adapted to mesh with the pinion, and a driving member adapted to be rotated by the latter shaft and mounted for longitudinal movement with respect thereto and rotary movement therewith.

11. The combination of a driving shaft, yielding driving means mounted on and cooperating with said shaft,-a second driving shaft mounted for. longitudinal movement, operating connections between said means and the latter shaft, and a driving member mounted on said second shaft.

12. The combination of a driving shaft, a coiled spring encircling said shaft and operatively connected therewith, a second driving shaft mounted for longitudinal movement, operating connections between said spring and the .latter shaft, and a driving member mounted on said second shaft.

13. The combination of a driving shaft, a driving member mounted thereon for independent rotary movement therewith, yielding driving means between said shaft and member, a second driving shaft, means for and a driving member mounted on said latter shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, said latter shaft and first-named driving member beingmounted for endwise or longitudinal move ment.

14. The combination of a driving shaft, a pinion loosely mounted thereon, a yielding driving connection between the shaft and pinion, a second driving shaft, a gear. secured thereto and adapted to mesh with the pinion, and a dI'iVing member adapted tobe rotated by the latter shaft and mounted for longitudinal movement with respect thereto and rotary movement therewith, said pinion being movable laterally along its shaft and the said second shaft being mounted for endwise movement. a f

15. The combination of a driving shaft, a pinion loosely. mounted thereon, ayielding driving connection between the shaft and pinion, a secord driving Shaft, a gear'selongitudinal movement thereof and rotary rotated by the latter shaft and mounted for longitudinal movement with respect thereto and rotary movement therewith, said pinion being capable of bodily movement along its shaft and the gear together with its shaft being capable of endwise movement and the' pinion and gear being interlockedfor such longitudinal movement in unison. 16. The combination of a driving shaft, a pinion loosely mounted .thereon, a yielding driving connection between the shaft and. pinion, a second driving shaft, a gear secured thereto and adapted to mesh with the pinion, and a driving member adapted to be rotated by the latter shaft and mounted for longitudinal movement with respect thereto and rotary movement therewith, said pinion being capable of bodily movement along its shaft and the gear together with its shaft being capable of endwise movement and the pinion having a flange embracing a side-of the gear.

17 The combination of a driving shaft, a driving member mounted thereon for independent rotarymovement therewith, a coiled spring encircling said shaft and operatively connected therewith and to said member, a second driving shaft, operating connections between it and said member, and a driving member mounted on the latter shaft for. longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith.

18. The combination of a driving shaft, a driving member loosely mounted thereon for independent rotary movement and for longitudinal movement'thereon, a coiled spring encircling said shaft and operatively connected therewith and to said member, a second driving shaft, operating" connections be- I tween it and said member, and a driving dIlVlIlg the latter shaft from said member,

member mounted on the, latter, shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary no .member mounted on said second shaft.

20. The combination of a driving shaft, a 120 driving member mounted-thereon for independent rotary movement therewith, a coiled spring encircling said shaft and op- -erativel connected therewith and to said member, a second driving shaft mounted for 1 endwise movement against the tension of said spring, operating connections between said member and second shaft, and a driving member mounted on the latter shaft for movement therewith.

21. The combination of a rotatable member, a driving member mounted for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement with respect thereto, a driven wheel connected with the rotary member for driving it, a driving wheel cooperating with the driven wheel, a motor, and a yielding driving means cooperating between the motor and driving wheel.

22. The combination of a screw shaft, a pinion mounted for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement with respect thereto, a driven gear wheel connected with the screw shaft for driving it, a driving gear wheel for driving the other wheel, a motor, and a yielding driving means cooperating between the motor and driving gear wheel.

23. The combination of a screw shaft, a pinion mounted for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement with respect thereto, a driven gear wheel connected with the screw shaft for driving it, a driving gear' wheel for driving the other wheel, said two gear wheels being mounted to move axially together, a motor, and a spring driving connection between the motor and driving gear wheel, such spring-being arranged to yieldingly resist said axial movement of the gear wheels.

VINCENT BENDTX. 

